Meng Renews Effort To Reopen LIRR Station In Elmhurst, Queens

QUEENS, NY – U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens), New York's Senior Member of the House Appropriations Committee which funds federal programs, announced today that she has renewed her effort to reopen the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) station in Elmhurst, Queens.

In a new letter to LIRR Interim President Catherine Rinaldi, which was also signed by local city and state elected officials, the Congresswoman urged the MTA to consider reopening and rebuilding the shuttered station.

The facility first began providing railroad service in 1927. It served the Elmhurst and surrounding communities for nearly 60 years until it was shut down and demolished in 1985 due to low ridership. However, the population of Elmhurst has grown significantly since the station was closed and reopening it would provide a faster commute to Manhattan for local residents, while also lessening the burden put on the subway and buses.

"Queens has steadily outpaced New York City's population growth for decades and one of the ways we must adapt to accommodate such growth is providing residents with additional modes of accessible public transportation," said Congresswoman Meng. "The Elmhurst stop on the LIRR has been closed for too long, and there is a reason the effort to get it reopened is reinvigorated so often; it would provide those in Elmhurst and nearby neighborhoods with a closer, faster, and a more direct commute to help them go about their daily lives. It would also serve as a huge economic boon for the Elmhurst community. I am proud to renew the effort to reopen the Elmhurst stop on the Port Washington line, and to be supported by many of my government colleagues in the area."

"At a time where New Yorkers are being asked to restore their trust in mass transit, we should place much more emphasis on providing equitable transportation access for all communities," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "We can take a big step in that direction by reopening the Elmhurst LIRR station. I greatly thank Congresswoman Meng for drawing the MTA's attention to the need to reopen this station and to continue to address persistent inequities in public transportation."

"Elmhurst is a historic transit desert, and an out-of-use station is a painful reminder of how much there is to do to connect my neighbors to reliable, accessible public transit," said State Senator Jessica Ramos. "Opening this station is going to relieve some of the pressure off our crowded streets and the 7 train. I'm grateful that Congresswoman Meng is taking this on and look forward to working with her and the MTA on getting this station operational."

"Western Queens is among the fastest-growing areas of the country and desperately needs more, and better, transit options. Re-opening this Long Island Rail Road station will improve mobility for those commuting and increase ease of access for people who want to explore all Elmhurst has to offer," said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris. "I'm glad to be working with Rep. Grace Meng to urge the MTA to make this important enhancement."

"As the population in Queens continues to grow, it is extremely important that we provide these people with accessible modes of public transportation," said New York State Senator Joe Addabbo. "I join my colleagues in government in calling on the MTA to consider reopening the Elmhurst LIRR station, which would service thousands of residents each day, and provide them with fast and reliable transit options to and from Manhattan and other areas of Queens."

"Elmhurst has seen a steady increase in population growth, outpacing the rest of New York City. Our state must provide and accommodate the transportation needs that our neighbors deserve," said Assemblyman Steven Raga. "I stand alongside my city, state, and federal government colleagues to call upon the MTA to consider re-opening the Long Island Rail Road station in Elmhurst, and to provide access and further mobility to thousands of commuters in our community."

"Elmhurst is an historic, vibrant community of working-class immigrant families. This neighborhood continues to attract new New Yorkers from all over the world, and re-opening the Long Island Rail Road station there will provide sorely-needed transit to serve them," said Councilman Shekar Krishnan. "It is long overdue, and I urge the MTA to work with Congresswoman Meng and me to make this a reality."

In 2013, the MTA/ Long Island Rail Road commissioned a survey on the potential reopening the station. The survey found that the station would generate roughly 1,700 peak period morning passengers and would average nearly 3,800 trips per day.

A copy of the letter can be viewed here, and the text is below.

A graphic showing where the Elmhurst station was located is attached as well.

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Catherine Rinaldi

Interim President

MTA Long Island Rail Road

Jamaica Station

Jamaica, NY 11435-4380

Dear Interim President Rinaldi:

We write to request that New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) consider reopening the Elmhurst Station on Long Island Rail Road's (LIRR) Port Washington Line. As you know, MTA closed the Elmhurst station in 1985 when Queens' population was just a fraction of what it is today. In fact, Queens has outpaced New York City's population growth for the nearly 4 decades since the station closed. Reopening this station could be an economic boon for Elmhurst and the surrounding neighborhoods, once again providing its residents access to Manhattan and the rest of Queens.

The subway lines that stop in Elmhurst typically take between 30-40 minutes to reach Manhattan while the LIRR could arrive at Penn Station in just 15 minutes. Cutting the morning commute in half for thousands of residents provides an invaluable quality of life improvement for Elmhurst residents while also alleviating crowds on subways and buses. The station would also make Elmhurst more accessible to other New Yorkers, bringing new customers to the hundreds of small businesses in the area.

In 2013, MTA commissioned a survey on the ridership potential of reopening the station. The survey's report forecasted the station would generate 1,710 AM Peak Period passengers with a daily average of 3,800 trips per day. The survey, which sampled residents who live in the immediate vicinity of the potential station, demonstrated overwhelming support for its reopening. Since the report was released, Elmhurst has only continued to grow, while transit options have remained stagnant– crowding buses and subways in the area.

MTA included funding for reopening the station in their 2015-2019 Capital Plan, until the funding was stripped in a 2017 amendment. Since then, the need for the station has only increased. As Elmhurst and Queens continue to grow, it deserves equitable transit. That is why we respectfully request MTA consider reopening the crucial Elmhurst LIRR station.

We appreciate your immediate attention to this matter and look forward to your response.

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